The men’s and women’s tennis teams left Greencastle last week to compete in Wisconsin. The men were unable to record a victory, while the women came back with a 2-1 record.
The 31 ranked women took on 22 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in their first match of the weekend on Friday. Senior Gretchen Wilder and sophomore Megan Galle led the way with victories in both singles and doubles. Wilder won her no. 2 singles match 6-4, 7-5 and paired up with senior Maddie Lee to earn an 8-5 victory in no. 1 doubles. Galle won 6-3, 7-5 in no. 6 singles and won no. 3 doubles by a score of 8-5 with sophomore Sarah Wilder.
Junior Alyssa Senevirante earned DePauw’s other victory with an exciting 2-6, 6-1, 11-9 win.
Later that day, the women took on a fellow North Coast Athletic Conference opponent in Kenyon College.
The team took home wins in the 3-6 singles flights. Sophomore Ali Bush won 7-5, 6-3, sophomore Colleen Morris won 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), Senevirante won 6-0, 6-3 and Galle won 6-2, 6-3. Senevirante and first-year Meredith Breda won also won their doubles match by a score of 8-6.
The Tigers’ success finally ran out on Saturday as they lost to 19 ranked Case Western Reserve University 3-6.
Senevirante, Galle and the pair of Senevirante and Breda were all victorious for the Tigers. Senevirante won in the no. 5 flight by a score of 6-3, 1-6, 11-9, Galle won the no. 6 match 6-2, 6-1 and the pair won the no. 2 doubles match 9-8 (8-6).
The women’s record is now 9-5 after the weekend. They return on Friday to open NCAC play against Ohio Wesleyan University.
The men suffered two losses over the weekend against 31 ranked Gustavus Aldophus College and Coe College by scores of 1-8 and 4-5 respectively.
The no. 3 doubles team of seniors Dan Rodefeld and Matt Stanten recorded the only win of the first match with a 9-7 victory.
The second match of the weekend was far more exciting as the Tigers only lost by one win to Coe.
The team jumped out to an early lead as senior Nate Wallace, senior Harold Martin and Stanten won their singles matches. Wallace won at no. 4 singles 6-3, 6-3, while Martin won 7-5, 6-3 in the no. 5 flight. Stanten came from behind in the no. 2 flight to take a 7-5, 6-4 win.
The team did not have enough fire power in doubles play to pull out the victory, however. The pair of Wallace and Martin in the no. 3 flight were the only pair to win. They won with an 8-5 victory.
Sophomore Greg Frauenheim has seen the team steadily progress throughout the year, but he thinks they took a step back this weekend.
“Over the course of the season, we have been improving on a lot of things,” Frauenheim said. “Unfortunately, it did not show this weekend, but we will use that as confidence going forth to the end of our season.”
The losses drop the team’s record to 5-9. They travel to Wabash College tonight to start NCAC play.